Federal employees are anticipating significant upheaval as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House. Many workers are anxious about potential mass dismissals and drastic changes to the federal workforce, recalling the challenges they faced during Trump’s first term, NPR reported.
This time, however, the threat appears even more severe with Trump’s plans to establish a Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, aimed at slashing regulations, cutting jobs and restructuring federal agencies.
“This will send shockwaves through the system, and anyone involved in Government waste, which is a lot of people,” Musk said in the official statement.
The Trump campaign likened the significance of this effort to that of the Manhattan Project—the top-secret scientific and military endeavor conducted during World War II, tasked with developing the world’s first nuclear weapons.
The billionaire pair will act as external advisors, collaborating with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ramaswamy called for a “massive downsizing” to combat what he called “wildly unlawful” practices in the United States government.
Additionally, Musk has suggested reducing the number of federal agencies by approximately 75%, though any major changes to government funding would require congressional approval.
“People are apprehensive and fearful,” said Nicole Cantello, an attorney with the Environmental Protection Agency and current union president representing EPA employees in the Upper Midwest, in an interview with NPR.
Trump VS. Federal Employees
During Trump’s initial presidency, Cantello noted that EPA operations were hindered by new policies. One significant change was that EPA lawyers were no longer allowed to directly inquire about pollutant discharges from companies. Instead, these information requests had to be routed through headquarters, bypassing regional offices.
The upcoming Trump administration is anticipated to employ various strategies to reduce the federal workforce. These may include large-scale transfers of high-ranking officials and relocating entire agency offices. Trump has already pledged to move up to 100,000 government jobs out of Washington, D.C.
This tactic was previously used during his first term when he relocated the Bureau of Land Management’s headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Grand Junction, Colorado, resulting in the resignation or retirement of 287 employees.
In the final days of his presidency, Trump signed an executive order establishing Schedule F, a new classification for certain federal employees. This category was designed to reclassify an unspecified number of career civil servants, stripping them of their job protections and making them easier to dismiss and replace with individuals loyal to Trump. However, this initiative was short-lived, as President Joe Biden revoked the order just two days after taking office, effectively nullifying Schedule F.
The proposed changes by Trump could potentially lead to the most significant transformation of the federal workforce since the late 19th century. Max Stier, president and CEO of Partnership for Public Service, suggests that this could effectively revive the “spoils system” that existed before 1883, CNN reported.
Under this system, political parties in power would reward their supporters with government positions. This practice was eventually replaced by the current merit-based system, which allows career employees to serve across multiple administrations, performing their duties without political influence.
Will Musk Run The Government Like X?
For the 2.1 million federal employees, one of the primary benefits of working for the U.S. government, the nation’s largest employer, is its job security—a stability less common in the private sector.
However, Musk’s approach to reducing the federal workforce might resemble the significant staff reductions he implemented at X (formerly Twitter). After acquiring the social media platform for $44 billion in October 2022, Musk drastically downsized the company’s workforce. In an interview with the BBC, he revealed that he had eliminated over 6,000 positions at X. The company now operates with approximately 1,500 employees, a stark contrast to the nearly 8,000 staff members it had before Musk’s takeover. This represents a reduction of about 80% of X’s original workforce.
Under Trump, the federal government may adopt a strategy similar to the broader tech industry, where companies have implemented aggressive measures to streamline operations. This involves leaner government operations, as well as the elimination of bureaucratic layers and efforts to boost overall productivity while reducing federal spending.
Unions representing federal workers are reportedly preparing to take action.